Modi Holds 15 Bilateral Meetings at 18th BRICS Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted 15 bilateral meetings with world leaders during the 18th BRICS Summit held September 12-13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. A central outcome was a consensus reached between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping to act as partners rather than rivals. The two leaders pledged to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas, restore direct air connectivity, and coordinate within the United Nations, G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Modi affirmed that India views China's development as an opportunity and will not permit anti-China activities on its territory.

India also strengthened ties with Vietnam and Kazakhstan. Modi met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung to review their Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and welcomed Vietnam as a BRICS Partner Country. Simultaneously, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung for the 19th Joint Commission meeting to translate political momentum into tangible outcomes. In a separate meeting, Modi and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reviewed cooperation in defense, energy, and critical minerals.

Following the summit, government supporters defended the diplomatic outcomes against opposition criticism. Spokespeople for the ruling party asserted that the summit was a tremendous success, contrasting the current diplomatic standing with the economic management of previous administrations.